[2] The word "resupinate" is generally only used in a botanical context – in everyday language, "supine" has a similar meaning.
[7][8][9][10] Although Charles Darwin did not use the term "resupination", he suggested that having the labellum on the lower part of the flower aids pollination by providing a landing place for visiting insects.
However, the South American bee Euglossa cordata pollinates both resupinate and non-resupinate orchid flowers.
It has also been suggested that resupination exposes the labellum to sunlight, emphasizing patterns and nectar guides and increases the temperature and thus the vaporisation of floral scents.
[9] In fungi, the term "resupinate" describes a fruiting body consisting of a fertile surface adnate to the substrate.